A classic dessert, this cobbler recipe is the perfect blend of sweet and tart that celebrates spring’s best flavors. The topping is by far the best one you’ll ever try.
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- The topping! So many cobbler recipes are too dry, too soupy, or have a topping that’s just… there, not really adding anything other than a way to cover the fruit. This recipe is different! If you’re used to thick, bland, biscuit-like toppings, you will never go back to those after trying this sugar-cookie inspired cobbler topping. It mixes up in just a few minutes and gets scooped on top of the fruit, just like in most cobbler recipes. But the the texture and flavor is unbeatable.
- The filling, a classic blend of rhubarb and strawberries (and don’t be alarmed by rhubarb’s weird appearance if you’ve never tried it: it just adds tartness!). There’s enough cornstarch in it to make it scoopable, but it’s still a juicy, fresh-tasting filling.
- It’s super easy! Much easier than pie but just as impressive.
(You’ll find the same delicious technique in plum cobbler and triple berry cobbler, if you’re looking for some variations.)
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
You’ll need the following for this great recipe:
- rhubarb
- strawberries
- sugar
- cornstarch
- butter
- sugar
- vanilla
- egg
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
🥣 Equipment
- 13 x 9 baking dish
- aluminum foil
- hand mixer
- large mixing bowl
🍴Instructions
Step One: PReheat the oven
Preheat oven to 375 with rack the center.
Step Two: Make the filling
Our first step is to make the filling by combining the chopped rhubarb, strawberries, cornstarch, and 1/3 cup of sugar in a large bowl.
Step three: make topping
While the fruit is baking, we can start on the topping. It tastes like a sugar cookie, but it’s easier to make and just takes a few minutes.
You’ll need to beat the butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla in a mixing bowl using a hand mixer on medium speed. Then add the flour, baking soda and salt until you have a sticky dough.
Bake!
Now we are going to bake this filling in our baking dish. Seems a bit weird, but if we don’t take this step, the topping will over brown before the fruit cooks through. Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake just the fruit in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.
As you can see, it won’t look dramatically different: slightly softer and juicier. It will finish cooking when we bake it with the topping.
Drop the topping onto the hot strawberries and rhubarb using a spoon. Just scoop and drop.
Now pop the whole thing back into the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown. (And add some coarse sugar in the last few minutes of baking for a little extra crunch!)
Serve
And of course, you must serve it with vanilla bean ice cream! And whipped cream too, if you’d like.
🥫 Storage instructions
Homemade cobbler will stay fresh for a day or so at room temperature. After that, you should tightly cover it and pop it in the fridge.
🔍 FAQs
Sure, if you prefer a biscuit-style, use that instead. But please give mine a try!
No, you can certainly use frozen strawberries.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
Rhubarb is only available in late spring and early summer and only for a brief period of time. Look at farmer’s markets. Some stores will carry frozen diced rhubarb, which will work fine.
You may want to place the dish on top of a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any overflow.
📘 Related Recipes
🍽 Serve it with
Having an early summer party? Try these recipes:
- Cucumber and onion salad with vinegar
- Broccoli and cauliflower salad
- Classic coleslaw
- Buttermilk fried chicken
📖 Here’s the recipe
Old Fashioned Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Ingredients
Strawberry Rhubarb Filling
- 8 cups chopped rhubarb 1/2 inch cubes
- 8 cups halved strawberries
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Sugar Cookie Topping
- 1 cup softened butter 2 sticks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 with rack the center.
- Make and pre-bake the filling. Combine the ingredients for the fruit filling in a large mixing bowl and pour into a 13 x 9 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake the filling only for 30 minutes to release juices and thicken the filling.
- Make the topping. Prepare the topping while the fruit is in the oven. Beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt) and mix on low until just combined.
- Assemble and bake. Remove hot filling from oven and drop the dough for the topping on the hot fruit by the tablespoonful. Bake again for 40-50 minutes, until topping is golden brown.
- Serve. Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or cool, with vanilla ice cream. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Hi—this looks delicious, but I noticed in your cobbler recipes it says baking powder in the ingredients, but baking soda in recipe instructions—just wanted to check which is correct?
Thank you!
hey liz it’s baking powder! I’m sorry, i’ll correct that